How to Obtain Your Spiritual Inheritance

Will we draw from our spiritual inheritance to establish the Kingdom of God?

The preacher said a good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children. While Solomon was speaking in terms of financial wealth, this is also true in the realm of the spirit. The Body of Christ in recent years has witnessed many great spiritual leaders go home to be with the Lord. The material wealth may have been transferred to their natural families, but a portion of the spiritual wealth is available to us as sons and daughters of the leaders of former revival movements. With the passing of God's great generals, a great spiritual deposit has been made in our spirits. Of course, with this transfer of spiritual wealth comes also a great responsibility for this generation because, as wise Solomon declared, the inheritance is not just for the children, but for the children's children.

SPIRITUAL WEALTH

This inheritance begs some important questions. How will apostolic believers respond to the spiritual wealth passed on by former moves? What will we do with our inheritance? Will we use it to build a memorial to the leaders and good times of yesterday? Or will we use it to build what God is doing today? It's been said that a reformation and revival starts out as a new movement, but ends up building a monument to what once was. Look no further than Isaac, the promised son of Abraham and Sarah. After Abraham died, the Philistine enemies covered the wells that Abraham dug in Egypt. When a famine hit during Isaac's day, he, like Abraham, figured he should go to Egypt for provision. However, God told him to stay in Canaan Land instead. To respond in a way that was different from Abraham took a great deal of faith on Isaac's part.

EMBRACING THE APOSTOLIC MOVEMENT

Think about it. In faith, he determined to obey God and plant seed in a parched land during a time of great famine. People around him must have surely thought he had lost his mind. But his great faith in God, a spiritual inheritance from his father Abraham, led to a harvest in a place where no one thought anything could grow.

The Word says that Isaac was greatly enriched! Then something interesting happened. Isaac took the blessing of God and went about unstopping the wells that the Philistines had covered. These wells had been dug during the time of his father Abraham, i.e. during an old move of God. Wells are significant. Without them there is no refreshing, growth or increase. But every time Isaac unstopped the old wells, representing an attempt to revive an old move, there was strife among his servants. It was not until Isaac dug a new well that the strife and infighting ceased. From this we learn an important lesson for all those who are embracing the Apostolic Movement: We must take our inheritance of spiritual wealth and dig a new well. Only then will we have peace and joy.

PROPHETIC INSIGHT REVEALS IDENTITY

Could it be that many of God’s leaders have gone on to heaven, leaving behind thousands of believers who have gathered around old wells because they are unsure of their identities? Could it also be that others are seeking out the new things of God in an attempt to warm up the old? When King David was old and stricken in years his servants brought a young virgin to his bed to keep him warm. David was feeble and his son Adonijah conspired to take the throne that had been promised to Solomon. Nathan the prophet and Bathsheba approached the aged king and appealed to him to transfer the kingdom to Solomon before Adonijah had an opportunity to act (1 Kings 1).

These Scriptures may shed some prophetic insight into the condition of some believers today who have gathered around old wells. We find David, representative of the former movement, is old and in need of heat.

David was slow to transfer his authority onto the next generation of leadership, so his servants sought to maintain the old ruler by warming him up with a young virgin, who represents the current move of God. We can’t, however, send servants to observe the new move of God only in an attempt to take that fire to warm up an old move. If we do, the false sons, like Adonijah, will wreak havoc on the kingdom. Much like Isaac’s attempt to unstop old wells, warming up an old movement with revelation from a new move is not the proper response to our transference of spiritual wealth.

CARRIES OF A FRESH NEW MOVE OF GOD

Still others are like the prophets of Jericho. The day Elijah was taken to heaven they stood and watched from afar. They saw Elisha with Elijah’s mantle. They saw him strike the water. And they saw him cross the Jordan. Yet, these prophets bowed to Elisha only to pay homage. While they respected the anointing on his life, they didn’t want to follow him. They were still looking for Elijah. How many believers will see the carriers of the new move of God today, but will still desire to search for the Elijahs that have passed on? How many believers today will try to unstop the wells of the former movements? How many will try to warm up the old teachings with new revelation? Many apostolic and prophetic believers were raised in the Pentecostal Movement and that inheritance should be treasured. But we must use our spiritual wealth to build what Jesus is building today. Yes, we cherish what God did yesterday but we need to keep pressing on today.

FAITH TO MOVE FORWARD

Dr. Lester Sumrall once said that it takes great faith to move beyond what one was born into. What movement were you born into? Which movement will you have to transition out of? Thirty days after Moses died, God told Joshua that it was time to move on. Although Joshua and the other Israelites loved Moses dearly, they did not seek to continue following him once he passed away. No, they took the spiritual transference of wealth imparted through Moses and used it to cross over into the Promised Land. By the grace of God, apostolic believers will do the same.